Recreating The Ultimate Fighter: Making Changes For The Better

            The Ultimate Fighter needs a change. Every season is becoming more and more redundant and the quality of fighters has gone down every year. Does anyone really envision Court McGee as a future champion? He seems like a great person and has an inspiring story, but it isn’t 2005 anymore.

The number of MMA fighters has grown exponentially over the last five years, and heart and determination won’t win you a title anymore if your skills aren’t at a world-class level, (we’re looking at you Mr. Sylvia.)

            The UFC spends millions of dollars promoting guys like Amir Sadollah, Mac Danzig, and Effrain Escudero every year and I’m convinced this is a mistake. They have so many bright young prospects that worked their way up through local shows and going on eight or nine fight win streaks that get a fraction of the attention that someone like Jaime Yager or CB Dolloway get from losing a TV show.

               The solution is simple. Bring back the format from The Ultimate Fighter 4. I’m not saying they need to put together a house full of guys like Joe Stevenson and Keith Jardine, who came close to being considered elite fighters before being exposed, I’m saying use the talent that you already have, and throw the winner into immediate title contention.

            Here’s an example:

16 Welterweights:

Jake Ellenberger

 John Howard

 Anthony Johnson

 Johnny Hendricks

 Rory Macdonald

 John Hathaway

 Mike Pierce

 Dustin Hazelett

 Charlie Brenneman

 Brian Foster

 TJ Grant

 Jesse Lennox

 Greg Sotto

 Darren Elkins

 Claude Patrick

 Ricardo Funch

            Can you imagine the quality fights that we would be able to watch every week? Johnson vs Howard, Hendricks vs Hathaway, Macdonald vs Ellenberger, every one of these match-ups are a potential Fight of the Night candidate.

            We have been putting up with a lackluster product for too long. We are introduced to at least ten fighters every season who don’t even make the UFC roster, let alone fight on a Main Card. We wouldn’t have to worry about fighters showing up out of shape and gassing halfway through the first round, (except for Rumble Johnson, but he usually doesn’t let a fight last that long, one way or another.)

            The hardcore fans would have endless debates over who would come out on top, and the casual fan would be treated to a good fight every week. It’s a win-win for the entire MMA universe.

The Ultimate Fighter is supposed to give us the next star of the UFC. Wouldn’t this get the job done?